this week's healthy food prep: 11/2

if i had to choose one prep to make for the rest of my life, it just might be this one...

it’s unusual that i do two food preps in the span of one week, but this week was an exception. my last prep (linked here) went home with my sister, who is in medical school with barely any free time. while i’m so happy to keep her fed and nourished during a stressful time, i was definitely jealous of her stocked fridge!

so a few days later it was my turn. i didn’t think i could top last week’s recipes, but i surprised myself with this week’s lineup. what stands out to me the most is finding new and creative ways to sneakily add protein to meals without it being the center of attention.

if you’ve been following my preps for awhile, you’ll notice i use quinoa on a weekly basis in my grain bowls. i’ve always used microwavable packets because i’m all about ease over here, but lately i’ve been tempted to try making it from scratch. this week’s garlic parm broccoli quinoa bake is packed with veggies and beans for fiber, all cooked in beef bone broth for a huge protein punch. this turned out so soft and fluffy— i might not be able to go back to the microwavable packs!

most week’s i prep some sort of double bean salad. i view this as a hearty protein and fiber packed option with endless flavor potential. this week i embraced my obsession with roasted honeynut squash (which, in my opinion, is the best of the fall squashes). i landed on a honeynut squash & crispy shallot bean salad. it’s simply dreamy.

i had just made overnight oats in my last prep, so to honor my oatmeal craving in a new way, i made vegan chocolate peanut butter oatmeal muffins. these are loaded with whole foods and nourishing ingredients, but still taste indulgent and lush. i crumble mine into my daily yogurt bowl!

for our main protein source, we’re going with garlic parm mini burgers. this is a tried and true flavor profile for me that i never get sick of eating. this batch was the juiciest and most flavorful yet!

and to wrap it all up, a batch of chocolate peanut butter protein frozen yogurt bites will do the trick. i’ve been ending every single day with one of these (gigantic) bites and let me tell you, i’ve never slept so well. coincidence? who’s to say…

at the risk of drooling onto my keyword, i’ll wrap up the descriptions and let you get to it! happy cooking :)

the menu:

• vegan chocolate peanut butter oatmeal muffins

• garlic parm broccoli quinoa bake

• honeynut squash & crispy shallot bean salad

• garlic parm mini burgers

• chocolate peanut butter protein frozen yogurt bites

the grocery list:

note that a handful of these items are pantry staples, so you may already have them on hand and won’t need to purchase :) or if you do need to buy them, i have plenty of other recipes that call for these ingredients, so you’ll have plenty of use for your purchase!

produce:

• 3 large ripe bananas

• 1 large head fresh broccoli florets or 2 bunches of baby broccoli

• 1 bulb of garlic

• 3-4 small honeynut squashes

• 2-3 shallots

• 1 handful of fresh parsley

meat

• 1 carton (16.9oz) beef bone broth

• 1 pound ground beef

eggs/dairy:

• 1/2 dozen eggs

• 1 can full fat coconut milk

• grated parmesean

• crumbled goat cheese

• greek yogurt of choice (i use a coconut greek-style yogurt)

misc:

• ground flaxseed

• creamy salted peanut butter

• maple syrup

• vanilla extract

• oat flour

• almond flour

• GF rolled oats

• baking soda

• sea salt

• dark chocolate chips

• 1 bag of dry quinoa

• 2 cans (15oz each) cooked white beans

• 1 can (15oz) cooked butter beans, rinsed and drained

• raw pumpkin seeds

• pomegranate seeds

• gluten free breadcrumbs

• vanilla protein powder of choice

and now for the fun part— recipes below :)